Keep Swinging For the Fence

Jeff Doll
MBA '12
Amazon

Like a great hitter in baseball, Jeff Doll did his best work with two strikes.

After two unsuccessful attempts at landing a job at Amazon, Jeff hit a home run on his third try. He’ll begin working in July in the company’s Pathways rotational program in Kennewick, Washington, and will focus on how to improve the customer service experience.

“Amazon has a reputation as a customer-centric company, and I knew coming in it was one of the places I would love to work,” says Jeff, who earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Brigham Young University-Idaho before coming to Purdue for his MBA. “The first two jobs I applied for didn’t exactly match my skill set, but I was able to make great contacts on both occasions. By building a network, I eventually found a perfect fit.”

Between his degrees, Jeff worked in service operations for Vivint, a home-alarm and home-automation service provider. He was drawn to Purdue by the strength and reputation the Krannert School enjoys in the area of operations management. After his first year at Purdue, he took an internship as a supply risk analyst with Allison Transmission in Indianapolis to help round out his resume.

Jeff believes the combination of his internship, classroom learning and interaction with classmates provided the perfect combination to maximize his experience at Purdue.

“When I came here, I was amazed by the variety of students. We have every different background you can imagine, and it constantly forced me to think about business through a different lens. It was a real personal stretch,” he says.

Jeff is appreciative of the Purdue faculty. He singles out a change management class taught by Professor Matthew Lynall as one of his favorites.

“Professor Lynall constantly coaxed us to look at situations from different angles. Just when we thought we had a problem solved, he would ask if we had considered this or that. He really kept on our toes and showed us how to approach a problem in a different light,” Jeff says.

Jeff and his wife welcomed their third child during his time at Purdue. He was active in a variety of school activities, including serving as a graduate assistant instructor and vice president of the Krannert Graduate Student Association. But he always made time for family.

“My work group was very understanding, and I made Sunday a family day,” Jeff says. “It’s been challenging, but well worth the effort.”